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14 years experience
Expertise
  • Fire & Explosion Investigation
  • Forensic Engineering
  • Litigation
  • Mechanical Engineeing
  • Product & Equipment Failures
Overview

Matt is a licensed professional engineer in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, BC, and Ontario, as well as the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. He is a certified fire and explosion investigator and certified vehicle fire investigator, specializing in mechanical related losses, and has conducted over 1000 investigations. Prior to working in forensic engineering consulting, Matt spent multiple years in the academic and research field studying various fire science topics at both the University of Waterloo and the University of Saskatchewan.

Education
University of Waterloo Mechanical Engineering Waterloo, Ontario, Canada 2011
University of Saskatchewan Mechanical Engineering Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada 2009
Certifications
  • Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI), NAFI – since 2012, recertification every 5 years
  • Certified Vehicle Fire Investigator (CVFI), NAFI – since 2015
  • Berla iVe Vehicle System Forensics
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  • Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba (APEGM) Professional Engineer since 2014
  • Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS) Professional Engineer since 2015
  • Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) Professional Engineer since 2014
  • Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) Professional Engineer since 2017
  • Northwest Territories and Nunavut Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists (NAPEG)
  • Professional Engineer since 2016 Engineers Geoscientists British Columbia (EGBC)
  • Professional Engineer since 2019
  • Member – National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI) – Since 2012
  • Member – Canadian Association of Fire Investigators (CAFI)

Have participated in more than 1,000 investigations to date specializing in mechanical related losses.

Forensic Engineer Origin and Cause Incorporated
Winnipeg, MB
April 2015 – Present

  • Investigation of vehicle, truck, and heavy equipment fires, and structural fires with mechanical equipment involved
  • Forensic investigation of failures involving mechanical equipment
  • Digital data acquisition from vehicles using the Berla iVe and Bosch systems

Fire Investigator/Forensic Engineer EFI Global
Ottawa, ON / Winnipeg, MB
June 2012 – April 2015

  • Numerous fire investigations of residential, commercial, and vehicle/equipment fires, indoor air quality investigations and testing, and slip and fall investigations. Investigations conducted for various insurance
    clients

Applied Commercial and Industrial Sales The Master Group
Ottawa, ON
2011 – 2012

  • Aided engineering clients in selection and specification of HVAC components

M.A.Sc. Candidate University of Waterloo
Waterloo, ON
2009 – 2011

  • Conducted thesis research on manual suppression techniques in a compartment fire

Research Assistant
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, ON
2008 – 2009

Conducted literature review of wild land fire convection column theory and created a plume in the laboratory using salt-water modelling.

  • IAAI –NFPA Fire Investigator’s Course (2022)
  • Berla iVe Vehicle System Forensics Training Course (2018)
  • Fire Findings: Investigation of Gas and Electric Appliance Fires Course (2016)
  • SAFC Seminar – Inspecting Commercial Kitchen Systems (2014)
  • CAFI Seminar – Overlooked Ignition Sources and Evidence Management (2014)
  • Canadian National Advanced Fire, Arson and Explosion Investigation Training Program (2012)
  • EFI Global Fire Training and Live Burn, Memphis, TN (2012)
  • Advanced Fire Investigation Workshop with Dr. John DeHaan (2012)
  • CFEI Trainer, 25 online courses (2012 to present)
  • NFPA 921 Fire Investigator Course: Vehicle Fire Investigations. Nov 6 (2024)
  • Vehicle Fire Investigation Procedure, CCATA Conference, Winnipeg, MB. Jun 5, 2024
  • NFPA 921 Fire Investigator Course: Vehicle Fire Investigation, Grimsby, ON. Aug 20, 2023
  • Vehicle System Forensics (IAAI), ON. Jun 8, 2023
  • Investigating Farm Machinery Losses, Online. May 31, 2023
  • Vehicle Fire Investigation (IIBC). Mar 30, 2023
  • NFPA 921 Fire Investigator Course: Vehicle Fire Investigation, Online. Jun 9, 2021
  • Vehicle Fire Origin Determination (CCATA Conference). 2019
  • Cause Determination in Vehicle Fires – Vehicle Fire Investigations (IAAI). 2017
  • Fire Dynamics – Guest Lecture, Oxygen Consumption Calorimetry, University of Waterloo. 2009 and 2010
  • Fire Safety Engineering – Teaching Assistant, University of Waterloo. 2011
  • Ordinary Differential Equations – Teaching Assistant, University of Waterloo. 2010

Publications as First Author

  • Obach, Matthew R. (2011) Effects of Initial Fire Attack Suppression Tactics on the Firefighter and Compartment Environment. M.A.Sc. Thesis, University of Waterloo.
  • Obach, M.R., E.J. Weckman, and A. Strong (2011) Effects of different suppression tactics on the firefighter and compartment environment, International Association of Fire Safety Science, Maryland.
  • Obach, M.R., and E.J. Weckman (2010) Comparing the heat release rate and heat flux of uniformly constructed wood cribs, Combustion Institute – Canadian Section, Ottawa.
  • Obach, M.R., D.A. Torvi, D. Sumner, and D.J. Bergstrom (2010) Salt-water modeling of a wildland fire’s convection column, Combustion Institute – Canadian Section, Ottawa.

Other Publications

  • Robson, L.D., Torvi, DA, Obach, MR and Weckman, EJ, Effects of variations in incident heat flux when using cone calorimeter test data for prediction of full-scale heat release rates of polyurethane foam, Fire and Materials, Vol 40, 2016 pp 89-113.
  • Robson, L.D, M.R. Obach, J. Rigg, J.U. Ezinwa, D.A. Torvi, and E.J. Weckman (2011) Effects of polyurethane foam thickness on heat release rates measured in cone and furniture calorimeter tests, Fire and Materials, Wiley, MA.
  • Ezinwa, J.U., L.D. Robson, M.R. Obach, D.A. Torvi, and E.J. Weckman (2011) Evaluating models for predicting full-scale fire behaviour of polyurethane foam using cone calorimeter data, Fire Technology, Springer, NY.
  • Robson, L.D, M.R. Obach, J.U. Ezinwa, D.A. Torvi, and E.J. Weckman (2010) Effects of polyurethane foam thickness on flame spread and heat release rates in furniture calorimeter tests, Combustion Institute – Canadian Section, Ottawa.

Where to Find Matthew Obach

Winnipeg

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